Less rigidly formal than the Newport, and with a more welcoming staff, this is one of our all-time favorites for a special night out in Bermuda. The service is impeccable, and the culinary repertoire is inventive -- doubly impressive given the large number of diners every evening. The restaurant also serves a celebrated Sunday brunch (known here as "buffet breakfast").

About 300 years ago, merchant sailors unloaded their cargo directly into the basement of this historic inn and warehouse. Today, the best way to approach the inn is still by water, and that's precisely what many Bermudians do, mooring their sailing craft in its sheltered cove. Over the years, the inn has attracted such guests as Mark Twain, James Thurber, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Eugene O'Neill.

You can enjoy a drink in an upstairs bar, where a classical pianist entertains. After descending a colonial staircase with a white balustrade, you'll be seated in one of three conservatively nautical dining rooms. Each is filled with captain's or Windsor chairs, oil paintings of old clipper ships, and lots of exposed wood. The bouillabaisse is about as good as it gets on this side of the Riviera, and there are many other temptations, including Bermuda's very best fish chowder. Veal shank served in white corn risotto with caramelized onions and young stuffed vegetables is an especially good choice. Occasionally, we've settled happily for a plate of grilled Mediterranean vegetables, from artichokes to eggplant.